this fall I bought my first 4x4 atv a 98 Honda Forman, in as good a shape a Alaskan coastal honda can be......rusty on all steel parts...thats a different tale for a different day.
My daughter reported she had misplaced the ignition key, I wanted to do some trailer work with the Forman and now the job was coming up to help sombody move and couldent use it.
Thinking how thieves try to hotwire the ignition switches (they break them open) I figured on a different path, as Ive replaced bad switches before I knew the location to the cannon plug was up front under the fender in the steering column gastank area, following the wires from ignition switch down to the plug, slide the cannon plug forward off its peg its secured to the chassis and then you can disconect the cannon plug, the Forman ignition circuit has to have a completed circuit to work, the switch opens the circuit, the chassis end of the cannonplug has all male spade connecters (4ea) 2 for battery and 2 for ignition, I fashoned a short horseshoe shaped jumper wire with female spade connecters reach in there and jumper the ignition circuit spades then you have a running Honda ATV (NO BATTERY POWERD LIGHTS & STARTER) use the handle bar kill switch by the starter button to stop the engine, on my older Forman has a Pull starter so starting is not a problem (ALSO has Primer kit on Carb)
this wont make the battery supplied stuff work like headlights and starter but will get you home.
found the key 2 days later, was able to pull off the jumper and reconnect the cannonplug and return to running order, I put the jumper in the back tool storage compartment incase needed in future.
checked at hardware store they were out the key blank needed to make spare. need to wate a month.
